06/25/2020
Ryan Newman – Pocono Advance
ADVANCE NOTES
NASCAR Returns to Action
- NASCAR’s return to racing heads to the Pocono Mountains this weekend, as the NASCAR Cup Series tackles its first doubleheader in the modern era (1972-present). The stars of the NCS will first run 325 miles on Saturday afternoon, and follow that with a 350-mile event Sunday. Overall, the 2.5-mile, three-turn track will host 1,250 miles worth of racing across four series.
- To add to the drama of the series’ first-ever doubleheader, teams will use the same car for both days unless forced to a backup car from an incident in Saturday’s event.
- The starting lineup for the first race will be determined by a random draw based on teams’ order in owners’ points, meaning Newman will draw for a spot in the 13-24 group. The starting order for Sunday’s race will be determined by an inversion of the cars remaining on the lead lap at the end of race one.
- This weekend also picks up from the original 2020 season schedule, with the previous nine weeks shuffled around to allow for a safe return to the track.
- Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed prior to the COVID-19 hiatus with races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville postponed.
Newman Historically at Pocono Raceway
- Newman will make his 37th and 38th Cup Series starts at Pocono this weekend, a track he has an average finish of 13.1 – his third best of any track on the circuit – with one win, 15 top-10s and nine top-fives.
- Newman won from the pole back in 2003 at ‘The Tricky Triangle.’ He also finished runner-up in the spring of 2007 after starting from the pole. Dating back three events, Newman has an average finish of 12.6.
- Newman has two career Cup poles at Pocono (2003, 2007) with an average starting spot of 11.6. He has 19 top-10 starts all-time, 10 of which were inside the top five.
Scott Graves at Pocono Raceway
- Graves enters the weekend at Pocono with eight Cup starts under his belt and an average finish of 17.2. He has two top-10s and one top five.
- Graves led Daniel Suarez to the pole in the second Pocono event in 2018, before going on to finish second. He also finished seventh with Suarez in 2017. Most recently, Graves led Newman to finishes of 16th and 14th in 2019.
- He also called one Xfinity Series event at ‘The Tricky Triangle’ with Suarez in 2016, finishing ninth after starting third.
QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on racing at Pocono:
“This is obviously something we’ve never done before, run back-to-back races, so it’ll be interesting from a strategy standpoint. Each corner provides its own unique challenges, but the straightaways allow you to carry really good speed, which makes for fun racing. With this format, being patient will have to be part of our mindset with keeping the car clean for both days. We’re excited to welcome Progressive Insurance back to the car, and I’m personally excited for my first race with Wyndham Rewards this year, and hopefully we can come away with two solid runs for both.”
Last Time Out
Newman used his usual Superspeedway strategy Monday at Talladega, riding contently around the tail end of the pack until the last 15-20 laps. After getting inside the top-10 as the laps wound down, Newman unfortunately ran out of fuel coming to the final restart, relegating him to a 23rd-place finish.
On the Car Saturday
Progressive Insurance – who joined the fold at RFR as the primary partner in Atlanta – is back on Newman’s machine this weekend for the first race at Pocono.
On the Car Sunday
Wyndham Rewards makes its return to the No. 6 machine this weekend for the second Pocono event, and first appearance of the season with Newman. Wyndham’s first race came back in Las Vegas, when Ross Chastain filled in for Newman as part of the three West Coast races he missed following the Daytona 500. Wyndham Rewards is in its third season with the team after joining the fold with Matt Kenseth in 2018, and a 10-race program in 2019 with Ryan Newman.
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts has launched its Count on Us initiative to put safety first elevating its health and safety protocols. When you stay at hotels by Wyndham like Super 8, Days Inn, and La Quinta, you’ll notice new measures in place to give you peace of mind…
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- Enhanced social distancing measures in public spaces
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